Affairs of State(45)
“Exactly. The kind of person who’s horrified by the prospect of her grandson dating an Amerrrrican.” She managed to roll her Rs. Then sighed. “He’s sweet but it’s one of those things with no future.”
“I’ll have to read your tea leaves when we’re done picking your outfit.”
“Does that work when you’re using a tea bag?”
“It does require more creativity, but I have plenty of that.”
“Let’s just stay focused on getting me through this taping in one piece. How about this lilac number?”
Francesca surveyed the dress. “Perfect. Fresh and young, yet sophisticated and worldly.”
“I’m glad that’s settled. Will I get to meet the pres— I mean, my father, before the taping starts?”
Francesca hesitated. “Liam and I did talk about that. He wants you to meet for the first time on air, for maximum dramatic impact. I told him this isn’t a primetime special—well, it is—but it’s your real life. If you don’t like the idea of meeting him under the studio lights, I’ll beg and plead until he gives in.”
“Don’t worry about it. I don’t mind meeting him on camera. In a way it might help as I’ll have to keep a lid on my emotions.”
“Oh, don’t do that. It’s bad for ratings.” Francesca winked.
“Liam would rather have me blubbering and calling him Daddy?”
“Absolutely.”
She blew out a breath. “Yikes. That’s not really me. I’m known for being calm under pressure. I’m afraid I won’t give good TV.”
“You just be yourself, and we’ll let Liam worry about the ratings.”
* * *
Ariella’s usually calm demeanor was trembling. Her hands kept shaking as she tried to apply her mascara. Her lips quivered as she smoothed on her lipstick. Even her hair seemed jumpy. In seventeen minutes—not that she was counting—she’d be sitting on a sound stage with the man who shared half her DNA. She wasn’t that nervous about the television cameras, or even the audience of millions that would supposedly be tuning in. She was nervous about what she’d see when she looked into Ted Morrow’s face.
Would his expression encourage her to build a relationship that could shape the rest of her life? Or would he be wearing that mask of genial competence that had helped him clinch the election? She knew that mask. She wore it herself a lot. In fact, she planned on wearing it tonight.
She hoped that this meeting might be the start of a relationship between them, but she was keeping her hopes in check since he didn’t know her well enough to trust her. He might not want to get close to anyone new. He was in a position of power and influence that made him strangely vulnerable. He probably didn’t want to share intimacies and feelings with a stranger who might turn around and repeat them to the press, or even to her friends. Still, she knew she’d be disappointed if she didn’t feel even a little bit closer to him after tonight.
“We’re on in five!” The perky production assistant stuck her head around the corner. “Are you ready?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be.” She stood up on shaky legs and smoothed out the skirt of her lavender dress.
“You can come sit in the green room. The president is chatting with Liam so you won’t meet him until we’re on air.”
“It’s going to be totally live?” There’d been some back and forth about whether it would be taped and then edited, but the ANS producer had reassured her that if it was live she was actually more in control of the final output than if it ended up in the hands of directors and editors. Apparently live was also better for ratings.
“Yup. No delay. No one expects either of you to start cursing or doing anything else that needs to be tweaked before it goes out.” The PA squeezed her arm. “You’ll be great. Just remember not to talk too fast and try not to look at the cameras.”
“Okay.” She said it to reassure herself as much as the PA. What if she froze and couldn’t speak? What if she passed out in a dead faint? Whatever happened would be seen live by millions of curious onlookers.
She followed the PA into the green room, which wasn’t green at all but mostly gray and had two sofas and some chairs. A jug of water, glasses and a basket of muffins. She certainly didn’t have any appetite. She sat on one of the sofas and smiled weakly.
The PA looked at a sheet of paper in her hand. “Barbara Carey will be going in first to introduce you, then the president will come in.” Celebrity journalist Barbara Carey was known for her ability to make all her interviewees cry. They’d probably picked her just for that reason. No matter what happened, Ariella was sure she wouldn’t cry. All she had to do was stay calm, be polite and survive the half-hour ordeal.